Biosensors usually analyze a sample of a biological fluid, such as whole blood, urine, or saliva. Samples are compositions that may contain an unknown amount of analyte. Typically, a sample is in liquid form and is an aqueous mixture. A sample may be a derivative of a biological sample, such as an extract, a dilution, a filtrate, or a reconstituted precipitate. A biosensor usually determines the concentration of one or more analytes, a substance present in the sample, such as ketones, glucose, uric acid, lactate, cholesterol, or bilirubin. An analysis determines the presence and/or concentration of the analyte in the sample. The analysis is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of physiological abnormalities. For example, a diabetic individual may use a biosensor to determine the glucose level in blood for adjustments to diet and/or medication.
A biological fluid may be obtained using a variety of methods. In one example of an invasive method, a lancet is used to pierce a user's skin to draw a biological fluid sample, such as blood. This sample is then analyzed with a biosensor external to the skin to determine the concentration of an analyte, such as glucose, in the sample. One disadvantage of this method is that the user's skin must be pierced each time an analyte concentration reading is desired.
One alternative to such an invasive method is to implant a biosensor under the user's skin. This method can allow for multiple analyte concentration readings to be obtained without making a new puncture in the skin for each reading. In addition, the analyte concentration may be monitored at regular intervals without any action required by the user. Thus, implantable biosensors may offer improvements in user compliance and in the amount of information provided.
Many biosensors measure an electrical signal to determine the analyte concentration in a sample of the biological fluid. The analyte typically undergoes an oxidation/reduction (redox) reaction when an excitation signal is applied to the sample. A redox reaction includes oxidation and reduction half-cells. The oxidation half-cell of the reaction involves the loss of at least one electron by the first species. The reduction half-cell involves the addition of at least one electron to the second species. The ionic charge of a species that is oxidized is made more positive by an amount equal to the number of electrons removed. Likewise, the ionic charge of a species that is reduced is made less positive by an amount equal to the number of electrons gained.
In electrochemical sensor systems, a test excitation signal initiates the redox reaction of the analyte in the sample of the biological fluid. The test excitation signal usually is an electrical signal, such as a current or potential, and may be constant, variable, or a combination thereof such as when an AC signal is applied with a DC signal offset. The test excitation signal may be applied as a single pulse or in multiple pulses, sequences, or cycles. The redox reaction generates a test output signal in response to the excitation signal. The output signal usually is another electrical signal, such as a current or potential, which may be measured and correlated with the concentration of the analyte in the sample. The output signal may be measured constantly or periodically during transient and/or steady-state output. Various electrochemical processes may be used such as amperometry, coulometry, voltammetry, gated amperometry, gated voltammetry, and the like.
An enzyme or similar species may be used to enhance the redox reaction of the analyte. The enzyme may be an analyte specific enzyme, such as glucose oxidase or glucose dehydrogenase, which catalyze the oxidation of glucose in a whole blood sample.
A mediator may be used to maintain the oxidation state of the enzyme. A mediator is a substance that may be oxidized or reduced and that may transfer one or more electrons. A mediator is a reagent and is not the analyte of interest, but provides for the indirect measurement of the analyte. More simply, the mediator undergoes a redox reaction in response to the oxidation or reduction of the analyte. The oxidized or reduced mediator then undergoes the opposite reaction at an electrode and is regenerated to its original oxidation number.
The mediator in an electrochemical biosensor may be a one electron transfer mediator or a multi-electron transfer mediator. One electron transfer mediators are chemical moieties capable of taking on one additional electron during the conditions of the electrochemical reaction. One electron transfer mediators include compounds, such as 1,1′-dimethyl ferrocene, ferrocyanide and ferricyanide, and ruthenium(III) and ruthenium(II) hexaamine. Multi-electron transfer mediators are chemical moieties capable of taking on more than one electron during the conditions of the reaction. Multi-electron transfer mediators include two electron transfer mediators, such as the organic quinones and hydroquinones, including phenanthroline quinone; phenothiazine and phenoxazine derivatives; 3-(phenylamino)-3H-phenoxazines; phenothiazines; and 7-hydroxy-9,9-dimethyl-9H-acridin-2-one and its derivatives. Two electron transfer mediators also include the electro-active organic molecules described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,393,615; 5,498,542; and 5,520,786.
Two electron mediators may have redox potentials that are at least 100 mV lower, more preferably at least 150 mV lower, than ferricyanide. Two electron transfer mediators include 3-phenylimino-3H-phenothiazines (PIPT) and 3-phenylimino-3H-phenoxazines (PIPO). Two electron mediators also include the carboxylic acid or salt, such as ammonium salts, of phenothiazine derivatives. Two electron mediators further include (E)-2-(3H-phenothiazine-3-ylideneamino)benzene-1,4-disulfonic acid (Structure A), (E)-5-(3H-phenothiazine-3-ylideneamino)isophthalic acid (Structure B), ammonium (E)-3-(3H-phenothiazine-3-ylideneamino)-5-carboxybenzoate (Structure C), and combinations thereof. The structural formulas of these mediators are presented below. While only the di-acid form of the Structure A mediator is shown, mono- and di-alkali metal salts of the acid are included. The sodium salt of the acid may be used for the Structure A mediator. Alkali-metal salts of the Structure B mediator also may be used.

One drawback to the use of implantable electrochemical biosensors is that one or more of the reagents of the biosensor may be released into the biological sample during the analysis. Thus, one or more of the reagents, such as a mediator, may leach from the biosensor into the bodily fluid of the user. Leaching of reagents from the biosensor over time can result in decreased accuracy of the readings obtained from the biosensor. In addition, the reagents may cause undesirable physiological effects if they are released into the patient at a level or rate that is too large.
Mediators bonded to polymers have been investigated as possible non-leaching mediators in electrochemical biosensors; however, these systems have met with mixed success. Polymer bonded mediators may have insufficient reactivity in a redox reaction in response to the oxidation or reduction of the analyte. Some polymer bonded mediators include transition metals, which could be harmful if released into the bodily fluid of the user.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have reagents for electrochemical biosensors that do not substantially leach into the biological fluid of the patient. Preferably such non-leaching mediators would be effective in transferring electrons between the analyte and the electrodes and/or in maintaining the oxidation state of the enzyme.